Automatic regulation of water in storage batteries



May 14, 1935. I s. MORSE 2,001,210

AUTOMATIC REGULATION OF WATER IN STORAGE BATTERIES Filed Feb. 11, 193112 H K H 7 1.5 I4 14' 3 1/ 5 I t; 2 v

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS v Patented May 14, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEAUTOMATIC REGULATION OF WATER IN STORAGE BATTERIES Sterne Morse,Richmond Heights, Ohio Application February 11, 1931, Serial No. 515,0204 Claims. (Cl. 136-162) This invention relates to the operation of storacar cause such passage of air or other gas and age batteries, moreparticularly those the type water vapor to occur when the volume of theused in starting and lighting systems for autoelectrolyte in any cell ofthe battery has fallen mobiles, although not at all limited to thisparbelow the maximum.

5 ticular use. It is a further object to provide a method 5 Storagebatteries used for this purpose are whereby air can be loaded with watervapor to practically invariably provided with generators the necessaryamount and then be caused to flow by which under average use thebatteries are through a cell in which the volume of theelecautomatically kept in the charged condition bytrolye has become toosmall.

the operation of the car. Inasmuch, however, as To illustrate the methodof the invention ap- 10 the use of a given car may vary between almostpropriate apparatus will be described and flured. no use and almostconstant use, it is difllcult or Figure 1 shows in a a diagrammatic wayan impossible to devise a system which, under cerapparatus suitable forcarrying out the method tain circumstances, will not overcharge and inof the invention, only a single cell of the battery other circumstancesundercharge. Underchargbeing shown. 15

ing with the lead storage cell will result in serious Figure 2 is arepresentation of the apparatus damage or destruction of the battery,particularshown in Fig. 1 in plan showing the method .of ly in coldweather. overcharging, on the other parallel connection where thebattery, as is hand, is not serious except for the fact that disusuallythe case, consists of several cells.

sociation of the water of the electrolyte occurs, In this figure thereis shown a humidifier l, a 20 but it can result in the destruction ofthe cell battery cell 2, and a trap 3. The humidifier I if the loss ofwater so occurring is not periodically may conveniently be made a vesselclosed exmade up. For this reason the average battery cept for anentering tube 5 and exit tube 6, and generator is made and adiusted sothat under may be filled with loose absorbent cotton 1. Some :5 average1156 81 overcharging occurs. Adjustsource of heat should be supplied.For example, in of the charging current can easily be made thehumidifier may be located, in the case of an to fit the averageoperation of the individual car. automotive system, above the exhaustmanifold However, even in this respect the adjustment of the engine,shown as 8. By the exit tube 6 can only be roughly accurate and it isalways the humidifier communicates with the storage '0 safe to err onthe side of overcharging. It is cell 2 which is provided with a jar 9withasealed consequently always necessary to replenish the in cover IDin the usual manner so that the whole water lost from a battery fromtime to time, and is tight. There is provided the exit tube H leadinfact even where the most perfect adjustment ing to the trap 3 which hasthe exit tube i2. has been made, some loss of water occurs during Somemethod of moving air through these tubes natural charging anddischarging. will be provided, here by connecting tube I! to It is anobject of this invention to provide a the intake manifold of the engine.method by which this lost water however occur- The trap I may be packedwith some absorbent ring may be made up automatically. of. sulphuricacid vapor, such as broken limestone,

It is a further object to provide a method by although the amount ofsulphuric acidwhich 40 which this loss of water may be made up by thepasses normally is almost inflnitesimally small. 40 passage of aircontaining water vapor into the This trap is strictly not necessary innormal opoells of the battery contacting with the electroeration but isprovided for safetys sake. lyte and giving up water thereto. The outlettube H of the battery cell is pro- It is a further object to provide amethod by vided with a float valve II which may be of any which thisloss of water may be made up by the suitable construction whereby riseof the level 45 passage of air or other gas containing water 13 of theelectrolyte of the cell causes closure of vapor into the cells of thebattery contacting the inlet end of exit tube II. This is shown as awith the electrolyte and giving up water thereto. cylinder of cork lyingin a perforated vetrical It is a further object to provide a simpledetube I! which serves as a guide. The end of tube vice whereby thevolume of the electrolyte in such II is provided with a flat, enlargedportion It 50 a cell controls such e of air or other gas constituting aseat for the float II as it is carand water vapor into the cell, no eoccurried up by rise in the level of the electrolyte i3. ring when suchvolume exceeds a certain maxi- Operation is as follows: Let it'beassumed that mum. the cell starts with the proper amount of water so Itis a further object to have the operation of in the electrolyte. Underthese circumstances,

the level l3 of the electrolyte will be high enough to carry the floatl4 up against the seat l6 closing the tube l I. No fiow of air underthese conditions will take place through the tubing system 5, 6, ll, l2.However, as gas is evolved under operation of the battery 2 it will havea free path of exit back through tube 6, humidifier I and tube 5. Aswater is dissociated from the electrolyte in the storage cell 2 thelevel l3 progressively falls, causing the float I to drop away from theseat l6. When this occurs, the flow of air through tube 5, humidifier I,tube 6, cell 2, tube ll, trap 3 and tube l2, occurs. In passing throughhumidifier 2, this air becomes more or less loaded with water vapor,depending on the temperature of the humidifier I. As this air is drawnabove the electrolyte in cell! part of the water vapor is given up tothe electrolyte owing to the fact that the water vapor tension of therelatively warm and relatively pure water in humidifier l is very muchhigher than that of the relatively cold electrolyte containingconsiderable sulphuric acid in cell 2. In the case of an automotivesystem, it is desirable that humidifier I be at a relatively high levelso that the course of tube 6 is downward toward cell 2, because in coldweather condensation of water may accur in this tube owing to its beingat a colder temperature than humidifier I. If the course of this tube isdownward, this water will eventually reach cell 2. The absorption of thewater vapor from the air passing through the cell 2 is much facilitatedby the splashing of the electrolyte which occurs as a natural result ofdriving the car, and in this way the water added becomes thoroughlymixed with the whole body of electrolyte rather than forming a thinlayer at the top. In this way water is progressively added to theelectrolyte and the volume of the electrolyte in cell 2 increases. Thefloat I4 thereby is caused to engage with the seat Ii and in this way afurther passage of air and water vapor to the cell is prevented.

The process is otherwise self-regulatory. In very cold weather the drainon the battery is heavier and as a rule little water is dissociated, andconsequently, little water is required. At this time the temperature ofthe humidifier will be less and the amount of water vapor taken up bythe passing air less. In summer, when much water is broken up, largeamounts of vapor will be carried by a given amount of air.

The humidifier may be provided as shown or may be of other form. Forexample, the connection by tube 6 may be made with the air space abovethe water in the radiator, although this would not be advisable iI avolatile anti-freezin substance such as alcohol is being used therein.The humidifier I may conveniently be made of glass or have-a glasswindow and may very conveniently have added thereto some substance whichchanges color or appearance when dry, such for example as chromicsulphate or cobalt chloride. Ordinary water may be added to it when theradiator is replenished inasmuch as the process involves distillation.It will be conveniently mounted in plain view when the hood is raised.

Discharge of the battery causes a slight diminution 01' volume of theelectrolyte, but this eii'ect is small, being only 6.7% from fullchargeto full discharge and can be disregarded ordinarily, although itis possible to obviate disturbance in this way oi the process outlinedif desired. This can be done by including a valve actuated by a solenoidwith polarized armature, in such manner that it remains closed exceptwhile a charging current passes through the battery, the device now usedto prevent discharge of the battery through the generator while the caris idle being modifiable therefor.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a method by which the water ina storage battery may be automatically replenished, which is cheap,simple and certain in action. Use of this method removes one of the mostserious causes of deterioration of storage batteries and renders theirlife much greater. Use of distilled water is unnecessary. All theseadvantages, and others, will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Itwill also be apparent that this method may be conveniently employed forother than automotive purposes, as for example, in automatic electriclighting systems for houses where storage batteries are used. Here thecharging generator will operate a fan, as is now customary for cooling.The blast from the fan will pass through a humidifier and then will becaused to pass above the electrolyte in the cell, or better, bubbletherethrough, on account of the fact that these cells are not beingshaken as is the case with an automotive storage battery.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the particular form ofapparatus shown and described, and the particular procedure set forth,are presented for purposes of explanation and illustration and thatvarious modifications of said apparatus and procedure can be madewithout departing from my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. The method of adding water, principally in the form oi" its vapor, tothe electrolyte in a storage battery cell comprising humidiiying airoutside of the cell and passing it within the cell into contact with theelectrolyte therein.

2. The method of adding water, principally in the form of its vapor, tothe electrolyte in a storage battery cell comprising humidiiying airoutside of the cell and passing it within the cell into contact with theelectrolyte therein, and controlling the fiow of said humidified airwithin and through said cell in such manner that rise of level of theelectrolyte in said cell causes reduction in rate of fiow of saidhumidified air through said cell and fall of said level causes increasein rate of said fiow. v

3. The method or adding water, principally in the term of its vapor, tothe electrolyte in a storage battery cell comprising humiditying gasoutside of the cell and passing it within the cell into contact with theelectrolyte therein.

4. The method oi. adding water, principally in the form of its vapor, tothe electrolyte in a storage battery cell comprising humidifymg gasoutside of the cell and passing it within the cell into contact with theelectrolyte therein, and controlling the flow of said humidified gaswithin and through said cell in such manner that rise or level of theelectrolyte in said cell causes reduction in rate of flow c! saidhumidified gas through said cell and tall or said level causes increasein rate 01' said flow.

; MORSE.

